


Adrift Amid the Alders

by Moonfireflight



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Magic, fairy tale, fairy tale zine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2021-01-27 10:02:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21390328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonfireflight/pseuds/Moonfireflight
Summary: This was my entry for the Fairy Tale Zine - Once upon a time, there was a princess who would often sneak out of her castle to help people in need... but soon she realized she was lost!I consent to the OTW terms of service and explicitly deny rights to reprint, share, or redistribute this work on any platform not owned by OTW. #
Relationships: 707 | Choi Luciel/Main Character
Comments: 7
Kudos: 51





	Adrift Amid the Alders

Once upon a time, there was a princess who would often sneak out of her castle to help people in need. One fateful morning, she met a man who was distressed over losing one of his sheep. After she promised to help him, he stated that his sheep had run off into the vast forest that bordered the nearby village. Though she was fearful of those tangled woods, a promise was a promise. 

In her hours of wandering, she had heard no frightened bleating nor seen any fluffy wool - only twisting branches shaded by the thick canopy above. She was sure that it was still early in the day, but so little light made it past the seemingly endless expanse of leaves above her that it felt like the forest basked in perpetual twilight. 

Was her every step leading her out of the woods or deeper into it? Loathe though she was to admit it, she was lost. Her throat tightened as she fought back tears when suddenly the near silence of the woods was broken by the raucous cawing of a raven somewhere ahead. With no other clues to guide her, she decided to follow the sound. 

As she rounded a massive tree trunk, she discovered the first path she had seen since entering the woods. It immediately forked in two directions, and in the middle of the fork was a raven. To her surprise, he extended a wing before him, black with yellow arcs on each shoulder. He seemingly beckoned her forward. She hesitated, afraid to scare off the first creature she had seen here, but it was her turn to be startled when the bird spoke. “Ooooh~! There’s a mysterious girl in my forest!” 

She blinked in surprise at the cheery voice from a creature who shouldn’t have been able to speak. “Your forest?” 

“Of course! I’m the god of this forest! I know everything that goes on within it!”

This was strange indeed, but maybe the raven could help her. “Well, do you know which path leads out of the woods?”

He hopped up and down excitedly, flapping his wings but getting nowhere. “Yep yep!” 

Annoyed at his lack of answer, she took a few steps forward and towered over him. “Then which way?” 

He danced around her in a semicircle with his wings fanned out, backing away any time she approached. “You know, hither and thither!” 

“Around and about?” she asked while trying to edge around him. 

“You get me!” he squawked. She was now close enough to see his eyes clearly - they were a startling shade of yellow that sparkled like gold caught in sunlight. Another step closer and she realized he had been hiding something - a string tangled around his spindly legs. He quickly spun to block her view with his black wings. 

“If you tell me which way to go, I’ll untie that string.” 

The raven hopped around frantically, making his problem even more visible while cawing, “What string? Let’s sing! Lalala, I like you; you like me~.” 

She giggled at his silly song, yet crept closer, singing along with him until she lunged forward and deftly untied the string that had been keeping him earthbound. “Why were you hiding that you were stuck, little one?” 

He tucked his beak under his wing and gave a muffled reply. “Because… a god shouldn’t need help.”

“It’s okay to need help sometimes! Though, about that, which way shall we go?”

Puffing up proudly, he squawked, “You can trust me, yes! Go right from here, and you’ll find your way home!” He flapped up to a low branch and pointed the way. 

“Oh, but won’t you come with me? You’re so fun!”

“I wish I could! I want to play! But I have to go…” He hopped up a few branches higher, almost out of her reach. 

“Then let me give you a gift for helping me. Ravens like shiny things, right?” she asked as she removed her silver cross necklace and held it out to him. He glanced around, unsure of himself, before taking the necklace and flying away further into the woods. 

***  
Even without her feathered guide, the path was easy enough to follow. She guessed it had to be sometime in the afternoon and wondered how much longer it would be until she was out of the woods. Without company, the trip was starting to become dull and the shade unsettling. 

In time, she came to another fork in the road with an old signpost in the middle, too faded to read. While peering in both directions for any clues, she heard a commotion in the brush. A few feet away from the path crouched a large black wolf.

Slowly she approached the creature which started to growl low in its throat. As she got closer, she saw yellow markings on its shoulders, much like those on the raven she had met earlier. As she pondered what it could mean, the wolf began to speak in an angry and boastful voice. 

“Get away from me! My claws are sharp and my teeth strong. I’ll hurt you if you get too close!” 

As she neared him, she heard a growl again but realized this time it was coming from his stomach. “Mr. Wolf. I think I can help you.”

His lips curled, revealing his fangs as he replied, “Help me? I... I don’t need help! You’re the one that will need help if you get close. I’m a dangerous hunter, a stalker, a chaser. Those who live to know my name fear it. Leave me!” 

The princess reached into her pack until she found what she was looking for. She hoped that wolves liked ham sandwiches. “I think you’re just hungry. Here--” 

The beast interrupted her. “Stop it! Don’t you have any care for yourself? A kind and pretty girl like you shouldn’t be putting herself in danger. I’ll bite you!” 

“Don’t be silly. Dangerous or not, anyone can get hungry. Here... “ She tossed the sandwich on the ground and waited. After a moment’s hesitation, the wolf slunk forward and downed it in one big bite. He looked back up at her for only a moment before averting his gaze, but she noticed he had the same golden eyes as the raven. 

“Most people would have ignored me or run away, you know.” His ears flattened against his head as he spoke. “I suppose you are looking for a way out of this place. Go left, and you’ll find what you are seeking.” 

“Won’t you come with me? You are so beautiful and powerful. I would feel safe with you by my side.” As she spoke, she knelt and scratched him behind his ears. The sight of his tail wagging made her smile. 

The wolf let out a sigh. “You must be an angel to encourage someone so pathetic like me. A wolf that cannot hunt has no place in the world.” His piercing golden eyes met hers once more. “Thank you for your kindness, but I must go.” With that, he disappeared further into the woods. 

***  
The forest was growing twilight-dim when she reached a third fork in the path. This one had no markers, and she feared she would have no guide either. Alone, tired, and lost, she fell to her knees and began to cry. 

A comforting voice cut through her quiet sobs. “Princess, clever and kind, why are you crying?” 

She wasn’t ready to look up and show her tear-stained face to the stranger, but the sound of his voice gave her hope. “I’m lost and don’t know which way to go to get out of this forest, and I miss the animals who helped me on my way.” 

She heard the soft shuffling of his clothing, and the sound of his feet, gentle against the forest floor, as he approached her. “Why are you out here alone?”

“It sounds silly now, but I came here to find a man’s lost sheep, but now… I think he was trying to trick me into getting lost here.” 

“Hmm…and you seek to leave these woods, yes?” At that, she finally looked up to see a man wearing a black robe with golden loops on the shoulders. Locks of curly red hair peeked out from the plain white mask he wore, and he leaned comfortably against a long wooden staff. 

Though his appearance was strange, reminiscent of the wizards from her history books, there was something else. “Yes but… I feel like I’ve met you before.” 

“You are perceptive too, princess.” He offered her his hand, which she accepted, allowing him to help her to her feet before he continued. “The raven and the wolf you met before are parts of myself that had been scattered. You see, I am Saeyoung - a magician who has lived in these woods for many years, lost in my own way. I gave up on finding what I was seeking, and now I cannot leave.” 

She hadn’t let go of his hand yet, marveling at the feel of his slender fingers against her palm, and the tale that he told. Behind the two dark holes in his mask, she saw a flash of gold, and her heartbeat quickened. 

Holding her gaze, he continued. “I know your quest is to escape these woods, and I should help you on your way but… is there any way I can convince you to stay?” 

She was about to open her mouth to reply, but he shook his head and released her hand. “What am I saying? I’ll lead you out of the woods. We’re close now.” Unable to muster up a reply, she followed him, thinking all the while of the creatures she had met, and the man before her, now that she knew they were one and the same. 

“Here you are, the edge of the woods… Farewell, princess…” Though he gestured dramatically, showing her the way to freedom, the sadness in his voice made her hesitate. Wasn’t there a way she could help him again? 

“Can’t you leave with me? As a spry raven, you made me laugh and warmed my heart when I was lost. As a handsome wolf, though you tried to act fierce, I could tell that you were vulnerable and noble.” 

With a morose shake of his head, he replied, “I cannot. This mask is now part of me, and so long as I wear it, I must stay here.”

Something deep in the princess’ heart felt heavy. Though he had helped her, she knew he needed someone as well. A curious, warm feeling bubbled up within her, and she knew what she had to do. Steeling herself, she approached him, reaching her hands towards his mask. “Then let me free you. Do you trust me?” 

He hesitated for a moment, then took a shaky step towards her. “You were with me when I was bright and fun, and you stuck by my side when it was hard and miserable. I’ve never had anyone like that in my life.” His voice was but a whisper as he replied. “Yes. I trust you.” 

The moment her hands touched the mask, it vanished like morning fog, revealing a handsome face - wild red hair and golden eyes that shone with longing and a hint of a smile. With his free hand, he reached for one of hers again, and she marveled at how naturally their fingers twined together. He winked and tapped his staff on the ground three times. At that, the forest melted away around them, replaced by a view of the endless starry sky above rolling hills as seen from the tallest tower of her castle. 

She was no longer just in awe of the magic she had witnessed that day, but also at the deep fondness she felt for this mysterious man. He smiled at her warmly and uttered, “Thank you, princess, for showing me the way out of the woods.”


End file.
